


Five Years

by demfeeeels



Category: Free!
Genre: Graduation, M/M, a tad bit of soumako, lots of fluff and blushy rin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 07:03:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2803805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demfeeeels/pseuds/demfeeeels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Well, there was no turning back now. He’d already bought the bouquet (which had been fucking <em>expensive</em>) and he had the whole thing planned out.</p><p>He, Rin Matsuoka, was going to confess to Haru tomorrow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Language of Flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AellaYuki (MikiElaine)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikiElaine/gifts).



> Hi there! *waves* If you're reading this, it's probably Christmas. So Merry Christmas, Aella-chan!~ (Hope you don't mind me calling you that XD) I'm very sorry that this is so damn short, but FINALS. FINALS RUIN EVERYTHING. Plus, I kept getting random writer's blocks while writing this D: But anyway, I hope you enjoy it!! ^^ And have a nice day! ;)

Rin knew that this was a bad idea.

Forget _bad_ , the whole thing was just fucking _ridiculous_. Everything from the overly colorful and large bouquet of flowers on his desk to his plan for after Haru’s graduation tomorrow, everything was just plain _ridiculous_.

He glanced at the bouquet again and sighed. Well, there was no turning back now. He’d already bought the bouquet (which had been fucking _expensive_ ) and he had the whole thing planned out.

He, Rin Matsuoka, was going to confess to Haru tomorrow.

 _Ugh, I sound so lame_ , Rin thought to himself, feeling his face heat up and running a hand through his hair. Yes, it was a completely stupid idea, but Rin just _had_ to. He probably wouldn’t even mind too much if Haru turned him down (Rin was pretty sure that would be the case), he just had to have the satisfaction of Haru knowing about the feelings that he’d been harboring for _years_ , goddamit. Literally _years_. Ever since he met Haru, Rin knew that he had felt _something_ for him. At the start, he wasn’t really sure what it was, but when Rin had returned from Australia and swam the relay with Haru again, it had become pretty obvious that he was in love.

And Rin had thought that the feelings would eventually wear off a little, if not completely fade, but boy had he been wrong. If anything, the feelings became more and more intense every day, and the warm, fluttery feeling in his chest just became stronger every time he looked at Haru, especially when he was swimming. It was becoming hard for him to even _talk_ to Haru now without blushing and stuttering like a complete idiot.

So a couple of nights ago, when Rin had been lying in bed and thinking about Haru, he had thought, _you know what? Fuck it. I’m gonna tell Haru that I like him. I’m leaving for Australia in less than two weeks, so when will I get another chance to?_ He _needed_ Haru to know about these feelings, even if Haru didn’t return them. Rin wouldn’t be able to rest easy until then.

Yup. Without a doubt, Rin Matsuoka was a very love-sick fool.

Rin let out another sigh and picked up the bouquet, carefully examining it. He felt a slight twinge of embarrassment, because he had gone _way_ overboard with the flowers. When he had walked into the florist’s store earlier that day, his goal had been to get a small bouquet that simply looked nice. He’d been looking around when he saw an old, leather-bound book on the counter, some fancy cursive title written in gold ink on the cover that was too faded to read.

 

_“Um, what’s this?” Rin asked, peering down at the tattered book._

_“Oh, that?” the old lady who ran the store said, smiling down at it. “It contains the entire language of flowers. It’s been passed down my family for generations.”_

_Rin frowned._ Language of flowers _? Wasn’t that some romance novel?_

_The old lady seemed to read his mind and gave a small chuckle. “I’m assuming you don’t know about the language of flowers?”_

_“Nah, not really,” Rin replied, letting out a sheepish laugh. “Not really much of a flower expert.”_

_The lady gave him a look that showed something like amusement in it. “I see. Well, if someone gave you a rose, what would you think of it?”_

_Rin’s thoughts immediately drifted to Haru, and he struggled to control the color rising to his face._

_“Uh, well,” Rin mumbled, running a hand through his red hair, “I would probably think that they really loved me.”_

_“That’s right,” the old lady said, now smiling. “But what is someone gave you a tulip?”_

_“A tulip?” Rin asked, puzzled. He thought about it for a few seconds, then shook his head. “I have no idea.”_

_The lady let out another small chuckle. “In the language of flowers, giving someone a yellow tulip is the same as telling them that you’re hopelessly in love with them.”_

_“I get it!” Rin said, a smile breaking onto his face. “So each flower has a meaning when you give it to someone?”_

_“Right again,” the old lady smiled._

_Rin felt his heart flutter, and he knew that the romantic side of him that he usually kept well-hidden was showing_. But still, _Rin thought, smiling softly to himself_. What a romantic idea…  
_“Would you like to take a look?” the old lady asked, making Rin realize that he’d been staring at the leather-bound book. He grinned._

_“I’d love to.”_

_So he flipped the book open to the first page._

 

…And now Rin was regretting it. He’d spent half-an-hour at the store, flipping through the tattered, yellowed pages of the handwritten book and ordering just about every flower that had a meaning that reminded him of Haru.

He looked down at the oversized bouquet in his arms. Most of the flowers were various shades of red and yellow, with an occasional sprinkle of blue and pink scattered throughout the bouquet. His index finger reached out to stroke one of the cherry-colored flowers and he was surprised by how soft and velvety it felt, since the flower itself looked like a papier-mâché art project. _A ranunculus_ , Rin remembered, tracing his finger along the flower’s petals. This had been the first flower definition that had caught his eye, and the first one he’d ordered.

_You are radiant._

His finger moved to one of the yellow roses. _Joy and friendship_ , Rin remembered, softly stroking its petals.

Then there was the single red rose in the middle of the bouquet, whose meaning was plainly obvious to anyone, even if they didn’t know about the language of flowers. _Passionate love._

Then there were the light and deep red flowers that looked like someone had glued together tissue paper and somehow made it look very elegant, or, in other words, the carnations. _Admiration and my heart aches for you._

There were the simple-looking lavender and blue ( _like Haru’s eyes_ , Rin thought) forget-me-nots, small and dainty-looking with only five petals each. _Memories._

And then there were the tulips- _oh god_ , Rin thought, cringing slightly. The amount of tulips he had bought was _ridiculous_. Seriously, more than half of the damn bouquet was made up of tulips. He had tried resisting buying so many, but each tulip had such a beautiful meaning (that had reminded him of Haru), so in the end he just gave in and bought them all.

There were the red tulips, which were a sign of declaring your love to someone (Rin thought that these deemed most fit for the situation), and the yellow tulips, which alongside telling someone that you were hopelessly in love with them also meant _there’s sunshine in your smile_ (he thought this suited Haru’s smile perfectly, though he’d never say it out loud), and finally there were the yellow tulips that were streaked with red from the bottom, which meant _beautiful eyes_. An image of Haru’s gorgeous sea blue eyes flashed across Rin’s mind, and since he was alone in the dorm room, he allowed a small smile to cross over his face.

And that wasn’t even the end of it. There were still the three daffodils, the white ones with the yellow centers that meant the _sun is always shining when I’m with you_ , and the flowers that looked something like a crossover between a water lily and a white rose, the camellias. Rin had tried with all the willpower he had to not buy them, but after remembering how confused and lost, but at the same time fascinated Haru had looked in Australia, with those big, curious eyes wandering all over the place and when Haru had struggled to use the little English he knew to communicate with Russell and Lori, Rin had given in and bought them. After all, they meant _you’re adorable._

 _What is wrong with me?_ Rin thought, now unable to keep his face from turning completely red. _‘You’re adorable’?! Have you gone completely insane?!_ Rin took one look at the bouquet, and he decided, _yes, I have gone utterly insane. And Haru will probably think the same thing._

The only upside to this was that Haru most probably wouldn’t know the meanings of the flowers, and like hell Rin would ever admit he’d bought them because of their meanings. If Haru ever found out… Rin buried his now even-redder face in his hands, thinking of how embarrassed he would be for the rest of his life.

Wallowing in his own embarrassment, Rin didn’t even hear the click of someone unlocking the dorm’s door, or the sound of the door opening, or even the footsteps that were walking toward him.

“Rin?”

Now that snapped Rin out of his trance. He hurriedly took his still slightly-red face out of his hands and looked up to see Sousuke staring down at him in confusion. To his horror, he realized he still had the bouquet in his arms.

 _Please don’t ask about it, please don’t ask about it_.

On cue, Sousuke’s eyes flitted to the flowers. “Where’d you get those from? Secret admirer?”

“N-No, shut up,” Rin muttered, avoiding Sousuke’s smirk. _Of course_ Sousuke was going to notice the bouquet. Who wouldn’t? It was fucking _huge_.

Seeing how embarrassed Rin was, Sousuke smiled even more. “Are they from Nanase?” he asked, a slight teasing tone in his voice.

 _Shit_. Rin’s face reddened, and Sousuke obviously noticed. “So they are.”

“They’re not!” Rin said, his voice coming out a few pitches higher than expected. “Why would Haru even give me flowers? That’s the most ridiculous idea ever,” Rin ranted, the color in his face rising. “I mean, nobody gave them to me, Sousuke! I bought them myself-“

“So you bought them?” Sousuke questioned, clearly struggling to keep his face serious. “Why?”

Oh fuck.

“Uh, well…” Rin stammered, trying to think of an excuse for him buying a huge bouquet of flowers, _other_ than giving them to Haru. “Um…”

Sousuke smirked again and walked over to Rin’s bunk, sitting on the edge. “That reminds me,” Sousuke started, bending down to take his shoes off, “you’re going to Nanase and Tachibana’s graduation tomorrow, right?”

“Okay, _fine,_ ” Rin snapped, finally cracking. There was really nothing he could hide from Sousuke, after all. “I bought the flowers for Haru. Happy?”

Sousuke just smiled and stretched, laying down on Rin’s bunk. “Looks like lover-boy’s finally gonna confess.”

“Huh?!” Rin started, feeling the blood rise to his face yet again. “How did you-“

“You’re not very subtle, Rin,” Sousuke snorted.

Unexpectedly, Rin let out a laugh. Why had he been so panicked about Sousuke finding out? This was Sousuke, after all. He’d probably already known for ages. He set the bouquet back down on the desk and went to sit beside Sousuke. “Yeah, I know.”

Sousuke looked over at Rin and smiled. “I’m glad for you, Rin. But don’t you think you might’ve gone overboard with the flowers?”

“Shut up, Sousuke,” Rin snorted, nudging him in the knee. His smile faded quickly, though. “It’s not like he’s even gonna accept them or anything…”

“Why not?” Sousuke asked, yawning. Rin looked over at him, puzzled. “I think it’s pretty clear that Nanase likes you too.”

Rin’s eyes widened, and he felt his heart flutter. “How … why do you think that?”

Sousuke shrugged. “For starters, he’s always glancing at you. And he talks a lot when he’s with you. He’s pretty quiet and weird around everyone else.”

Rin felt a smile cross over his face. He’d never noticed those things, but Sousuke was probably right. Feeling a little more confident about his plan for tomorrow, he stood up, stretching. “Thanks, Sousuke.”

“No problem. Give Tachibana my congrats.”

Rin snorted. “And _I’m_ the lover-boy.”

“Shut up,” Sousuke replied sleepily, and Rin could’ve sworn his ears were red.

Smiling, he walked over to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He _really_ hoped that Sousuke was right, and that tomorrow’s plan wouldn’t be a total failure.


	2. Blue Eyes and Cherry Blossoms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which everything is like a very cliche romance movie.

Somehow, everything looked a lot smaller now.

Rin was at Iwatobi Elementary School, looking up at the cherry blossom tree just as he had five years ago. The only difference was that, this time, the tree was in bloom, with soft, pink sakura petals gently falling to the ground and onto Rin. 

_Of course it looks smaller!_ Rin chided himself. _That was five years ago! You were like, twelve-and-a-half or something._

Well, everything might’ve looked _smaller_ , but the size was the only thing that seemed to have changed. He turned around and knelt down to get a better look at the bricks that he and his friends had made as kids. Rin couldn’t believe that they were still there, after all these years.

He smiled softly, rereading the phrases that they’d written all those years ago. There was Makoto’s, which said _I swim_ , and then there was Haru’s, which simply said _Free_ (Rin smiled to himself. Haru really never changed), and then there was Rin’s own brick, which said _For the Team_.

It was funny how even after everything that had happened in these five years, after Rin’s failures in Australia and losing to Haru, after coming back to Japan and constantly fighting with him, trying to prove he was better, and after finally realizing that beating Haru wasn’t what he wanted, but to swim alongside him and finally being satisfied with himself, those phrases were still pretty relevant for all of them. 

_Proves that time doesn’t really change everything. Some things are forever_.

“What am I even doing?” Rin snorted to himself, getting up and dusting himself off. He had a graduation to go to, and it started in fifteen minutes. He placed the enormous bouquet on top of the little pile of bricks, praying it wouldn’t rain and that no one would see them. 

Walking toward Iwatobi High School, Rin felt strangely calm about his plan, all the butterflies in his stomach from earlier this morning gone. Maybe going to his old elementary school had calmed him down or something. But whatever the reason was, Rin felt confident. Five years late, but he was going to tell Haru.

 

~~~~~

 

_Shit. Why the fuck did I think this was a good idea?!_

It was chilly in Iwatobi’s basketball court (where the ceremony was being held), and a few people were wearing sweaters, but Rin was sweating. It had started when he saw Haru sitting on the chairs that were placed in the middle of the court, wearing the navy blue graduation gown and cap. Rin had walked in, frantically searching for a place on the already-filling up bleachers when he and Haru’s eyes had met, and Haru had given him that small, soft smile. That was when his palms had started sweating.

After that, Rin had just been staring at Haru’s cloaked back from his place on the bleachers, the sound of the other students’ speeches fading into the background. The sweating of his palms kept increasing, and the room felt unnaturally warm and stuffy. 

Finally, the principal called out, “ _Nanase Haruka._ ”

All the students, teachers, and mostly everyone else on the bleachers burst into applause, because who hadn’t heard of Iwatobi’s freestyle-swimming prodigy? Rin himself was probably clapping the hardest, and he knew he was grinning like an idiot. He couldn’t help it. He felt proud that he personally knew and swam with Haru, and that he had been the one to help Haru recognize his dream.

Haru got up from his seat, gracefully walking towards to the podium, silky navy-blue fabric swishing behind him with every step. A smile crossed Rin’s face when he noticed the piece of paper Haru was clutching. 

_Typical of Haru. I bet Makoto wrote it for him._

Haru walked up to the podium, giving the principal a small nod, and the clapping died down. He cleared his throat and started speaking.

“I would like to thank Amakata-sensei for being our supervisor since we started the swim club, and Matsuoka Gou for being our manager. I would also like to thank all of you for supporting us.”

Everyone on the bleachers burst into applause and cheering yet again. Haru turned his face away, looking slightly embarrassed. _Cute_ , Rin thought.

But Haru wasn’t done yet.

“And…” Haru started, turning his head back to the audience and scanning it with his eyes, as if he was looking for someone. Then he met Rin’s gaze and locked eyes with him. Rin’s heartbeat sped up, and he was sure he was blushing, but he didn’t look away. 

“And I’d also like to thank Matsuoka Rin, the captain of Samezuka. Swimming with him and the rest of his team is something important to me. Thank you.”

Rin could feel everyone’s eyes on him, since most people knew who he was from the many trips he made to Iwatobi. But he couldn’t care less. He sat there, mouth hanging open and face obviously red. The butterflies in his stomach seemed to have multiplied by a few thousands. And Haru was _still_ looking him straight in the eye, his gaze intense.

_…Oh god. Haru. HARU._

An awkward second of silence later, everyone seemed to realize that Haru’s speech was over. After another round of applause, Haru gave a small bow, received a rolled-up scroll of paper wrapped in a red ribbon, and walked back to his seat, glancing at Rin one more time on his way back.

The few speeches after that passed in a blur. All Rin could think was shit, _how am I gonna confess to him now?!_ Sure, he was happy that Haru had mentioned him and his team in his speech. Heck, _happy_ wasn’t even close to summing it up. Haru’s speech had left this warm, fluttery feeling in his chest. But the idea of confessing to Haru after that made the heat rise up to his face even more, and beads of sweat to trickle down his forehead. He considered forgetting about his whole plan, leaving the bouquet where it was and running back to Samezuka, hiding his face in his pillow for eternity because he didn’t have the guts to confess. Because he was too embarrassed and nervous. Because, maybe now, he was afraid of Haru rejecting him.

After a while (Rin wasn’t keeping track of time, so he wasn’t sure how long exactly), all the students got up from their seats and gave a small bow to the principal, who had just finished wishing them good luck and success in the future or something. There was one last round of applause, and everyone on the bleachers got up and started making their way toward the exit. With a bunch of people bumping into him and stepping on his feet, Rin really had no other option than to get up and leave too, though he would’ve loved to hide in the basketball court. 

A few minutes later, Rin was back on the grounds in front of Iwatobi High, relieved to finally get some fresh air. After a few deep breaths, Rin was relieved that his sweating had stopped and the normal color had returned to his face. He still had the urge to run back to Samezuka, though. This whole plan was just plain stupid. Rin had thought that he wouldn’t have minded rejection, but he wasn’t too sure now.

Just as he was going to turn around and leave, convincing himself that carrying the burden of these feelings was better than Haru rejecting him, he heard someone calling out his name.

“Hey, Rin!”

Rin froze in mid-step, his mind suddenly ceasing to function properly. Slowly, he turned around.

_...Fuck._

Makoto was the one who had called out his name, waving at Rin with a smile on his face. And Haru, as usual, was right beside him, giving Rin the same intense gaze he had been giving him during his speech. And they were both walking right toward him.

Rin gave a small sigh. So much for running back to Samezuka. 

“We were wondering where you went after the speeches!” Makoto said after they’d caught up to him.

Rin laughed. “Yeah, I just needed some fresh air. Congratulations, you guys.”

Makoto gave him an affectionate smile. “Thanks, Rin,” he said, and Haru continued his staring.

Suddenly, Rin remembered what Sousuke had said to him. “Oh, and Makoto, Sousuke couldn’t come -” He heard Haru snort. Those two still weren’t exactly on good terms. “- but he wanted to congratulate you, too.”

“O-Oh,” Makoto stuttered, eyes wide and ears turning slightly red. Rin couldn’t help but smile. It was pretty clear that Sousuke and Makoto liked each other. Which brought Rin’s mind back to his confession idea. Which made him panic because Haru was _right in front of him_.

“W-Well, tell Yamazaki-kun that I said thank you,” Makoto said, momentarily snapping Rin out of his panic.

He managed a small smile in Makoto’s direction. “Will do.”

“Makoto. Your face is red,” said Haru, finally speaking after standing there silently for five whole minutes. Poor Makoto’s face got even redder.

“Haru!” Makoto whined. “Don’t say things like that!” And as if fate was on Makoto’s side, a group of people (probably other people in his class? Rin didn’t know) called out to him, waving. 

Makoto gave them both an apologetic smile. “Sorry, guys. I’ll see you later,” he said. Then he hurried off, leaving Rin and Haru alone.

“So, um…” Rin started, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “I liked your speech.”

Haru gave a small smirk, though there was a warmth in his eyes. “You mean the part where I mentioned you?”

Rin felt the color rise to his face. “Well, I guess…”

“But I meant it.”

Rin looked at Haru, his heartbeat racing yet again. “Huh?”

Haru was giving him the same intense gaze as before. “I meant what I said. Thank you, Rin.”

Unexpectedly, Rin let out a laugh. “No problem,” he told Haru, smiling at him affectionately. He suddenly felt calm again, and he wondered if he should just go for it. Today was probably the perfect day to confess, right after the graduation - like some cheesy romance movie that Rin totally would not enjoy watching. 

So, after a second of gathering up his courage, Rin finally said, “Hey, Haru. You know the cherry blossom tree at the elementary school?”

“Yeah?” Haru asked, looking slightly puzzled.

Rin’s hand automatically went to the back of his neck, like it did every time he got flustered. But he continued speaking.

“Meet me there in ten minutes. I, uh, have something to tell you.”

“Okay,” Haru replied, voice as monotone as always. But Rin could see his eyes light up for a brief second, like they did when he looked at a swimming pool. It gave Rin a small ray of hope. Maybe Sousuke was right, after all.

_Don’t get your hopes too high, Rin. Maybe he just likes the idea of going to see the cherry blossom tree._

“I have to change first,” Haru said, snapping Rin out of his thoughts. He looked down and realized that Haru was still in his navy-blue graduation gown. 

“Y-Yeah, okay,” Rin said, and Haru nodded and walked back to the school building. Rin himself turned heel and started to walk back toward Iwatobi Elementary, wondering if this would end up being the worst or best day of his life.  
Well, he was about to find out.

 

~~~ 

 

_Where is he?!_

It had been fifteen minutes since Rin had reached the elementary school, and there was still no sign of Haru. Looking down at the bouquet in his arms, Rin felt a sinking sensation at the bottom of his stomach.

 _Just…Just calm down_ , he tried convincing himself. _He’s probably just taking a while to change, or maybe he ran into some classmates or something. He’ll show up…_

So Rin waited.

Tapping his foot impatiently, he checked his watch. Another five minutes had passed. Still no Haru.

_How is it possible that he forgot?! I just told him half-an-hour ago!_

Another five minutes. And still Haru was nowhere to be found.

Rin looked down at the bouquet again. It was probably just him, but it seemed like the flowers were withering, slowly dying like Rin’s hope. With every passing second, the feeling that Haru wasn’t going to show up at all intensified.

_He probably has better things to do…_

Another two minutes passed, and Rin finally decided to give up. If Haru had any plans on coming, he would’ve been here by now. But he wasn’t. There was no point in waiting any longer.

Rin set the flowers back down on the bricks. Bringing them back to Samezuka was useless and painful. All it would do was remind him of a failed plan, of rejection. 

As he took one last glance at the bouquet before walking away, Rin was surprised to find his eyes clouding up. He rubbed them furiously with his sleeve, wondering what the heck was wrong with him. He’d prepared himself for rejection, in one way or another, so why was he crying?

“Fuck it,” he muttered to himself, still wiping his eyes. He quickly turned around and started walking away, hoping no one would see him.

_Stop crying, stop crying. You knew it was a hopeless idea anyway-_

“Rin!”

For a second time that day, Rin completely froze in his tracks. He didn’t dare to believe it, that Haru was calling out to him, and he didn’t dare to turn around. 

The sound of running footsteps got slightly closer.

“Hey, Rin!”

And then Rin finally turned around, his eyes taking in the sight of a certain blue-eyed, black-haired boy jogging toward him.

_…Haru._

Rin would never be able to describe the emotions he felt at that moment. That hollow, sinking feeling in his stomach erupted into a million fluttering butterflies, and his heart was beating so hard and loud that he was sure they could hear it in Australia. He wanted to run over to Haru and hug him and never let him go, but his knees suddenly felt so weak and shaky, he wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to remain standing. 

A second later, when Rin partially snapped out of his Haru-daze, he realized that the bouquet was still on the bricks where he’d left it. He ran back to it and grabbed it, hurriedly hiding it behind his back, which just nearly covered it. A cliché thing to do, but what other option did Rin have right now?

A few seconds later, Haru had finally caught up with Rin. He placed his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

“Sorry,” he panted, cheeks flushed pink. Rin noted how cute Haru looked like that. “The principal and teachers kept stopping to congratulate me.”

“N-No problem,” Rin said, averting his gaze from Haru. If it was even possible, his heart was beating even faster now. But it was far too late to back out now.

When Haru’s breathing finally returned to normal, he stood up properly and finally looked at Rin. Rin saw those gorgeous sea-blue eyes narrow slightly.

“What’re you holding?” Haru asked, sounding puzzled.

“N-Nothing! It’s nothing!” Rin stammered, trying to control the rush of blood to his face. 

_Why is this so hard to do?!_

Haru continued staring at him. “Okay, then what did you want to tell me?”

Rin wouldn’t have minded if the ground had opened up and swallowed him at that moment, but he knew that there was no running away now.

_It’s now or never, Rin._

So with all the courage he could summon, Rin whipped out the bouquet and thrust it in front of Haru’s chest. Not waiting for Haru’s reaction, he hurriedly babbled out the goddamn confession that had been bottled up inside him for the last five years.

“Look, this is gonna sound weird, but I like you, Haru. L-Like, I _really_ like you. And I’ve felt like that since I met you. I’ve always been fascinated by you, and I’ve always admired you, a-and I’ve also always liked you, okay?!”

Rin took a deep breath and looked up from the bouquet, finally meeting Haru’s gaze. Haru was looking down at the bouquet, eyes wide with shock and expression unreadable. Rin felt the sinking feeling in his stomach return, and all the butterflies seemed to slowly die out.

“Look, I’m _sorry_ , okay?” Rin said, turning his face away. His heart was still beating hard, but now each beat was just plain painful. He felt heat prickling in his eyes yet again, and he gave his eyes a quick wipe before thrusting the bouquet even further at Haru.

“Just…Just take it. Please. Forget any of this ever happened. I’m sorry.” 

More tears welled up in Rin’s eyes, and he raised his sleeve to his face, trying desperately to stop them. He was vaguely aware that Haru was now holding the bouquet, but he was too busy trying to control his sobs to notice that Haru was looking down at them with the most tender, affectionate look in his eyes and a soft smile on his face. 

“I’m sorry, Haru, I’m sorry,” Rin mumbled, taking deep breaths to prevent himself from outright sobbing. As if Haru hadn’t seen him crying enough times. He vaguely felt a warm hand on his arm, lightly shaking it. 

“Rin.”

“I knew this was a stupid idea, I’m sorry, okay, Haru? Just take the bouquet and forget about this. Please.”

_Stop crying, damn it!_

But Haru was persistent. He grabbed onto Rin’s arm a little harder, moving a few steps closer to him.

“Rin!” Haru said, a little louder this time, his voice firm but gentle. He was now close enough for Rin to feel his warm breath on his chin. He moved his arm away from his eyes for a second, looking down at Haru.

“W-What?”

And in that second, Haru leaned upward and pressed his lips against Rin’s.

_…Huh?_

It was only two or three seconds, but time seemed to completely freeze. All Rin could focus on or ever care about was that Haru’s lips, soft and warm, were pressed against his, lightly but passionately kissing him.

Kissing him.

Haruka Nanase was _kissing_ him. 

Before he could react in any way, Haru pulled away, his cheeks touched with a soft pink sheen – _like cherry blossoms_ , Rin thought hazily, his mind still in a dream-like trance. His eyes were fixed on the bouquet in his arms, and the smile on his face could’ve stopped wars and made plants grow, Rin was sure.

“Is that enough to explain how _I_ feel?” Haru asked, turning his face away from Rin, but still smiling softly.

Rin felt like his face had burst into flames. There was no hiding his red face now, but he couldn’t really care less. Haru had just _kissed_ him. Haru had just fucking _confessed_ to him.

…Oh my _god_.

Haru had just _confessed to him_.

Rin felt a nuclear bomb-sized burst of emotions course through his body, and for the second time that day his brain completely ceased to function. All he could do was unintelligently stare at Haru with his mouth hanging open and stutter.

“U-Uh…um…”

Haru turned his face back to Rin and gave a small smirk.

“You went overboard with the flowers, though.”

“H-Hey!” Rin retorted, trying to control anymore heat from rising to his face.

Haru just chuckled at Rin’s lame comeback, lightly shaking his head.

“Once a romantic, always a romantic.”

To his own surprise, Rin let out a laugh. He felt so unbelievably happy and _free_ , like the weight of the sky had been lifted off his shoulders. Not only did Haru now know about Rin’s feelings, but he even _returned_ them. This was a lot better than Rin had originally planned. No romance movie would ever be as good as this.

And no romance movie love-interest would ever look as beautiful as Haru did in that moment, clutching Rin’s bouquet to his chest, cheeks lightly dusted with pink and a small, soft smile on his face, blue eyes shining with passion as he locked gazes with Rin’s red ones. 

Not to mention the soft pink cherry-blossom petals that were falling all around them, into the bouquet and onto Rin and Haru’s shoulders and hair, and the picturesque golden-orange sunset that was happening.

“But you like them, right?” Rin teased, raising his eyebrows at Haru. Haru’s face turned a little pinker as he turned away once more.

“…Whatever.”

Rin let out another chuckle. He leaned slightly downward to cup Haru’s face in his hands, softly stroking his chin. They looked into each other’s eyes for a few moments, time frozen as fire-red orbs passionately gazed into clear, ocean-blue ones. Their eyes were completely opposite in color, and so were their personalities, but they both looked at each other with the same mixture of passion, intensity, and warm affection.

And then Rin’s lips met Haru’s, pulling him into a more passionate kiss this time, and Haru kissed back with the same urge, with the same energy. Rin laced his hands around Haru’s neck, tangling his fingers in the silky strands of black hair as Haru’s free arm moved around Rin’s waist, closing the little distance that was between them.

And _no_ kiss in any romance movie – no matter how many awards it won, no matter how much it made cry-baby, hopelessly romantic Rin Matsuoka sob his shoujo-self silly as he watched it again and again on repeat – no kiss could ever be as good as this kiss.


	3. I Promise

“Rin.”

 _Ugh_.

Rin hugged his pillow and turned away from Haru, mumbling a “yeah” and trying to go back to sleep. After last night, he was in absolutely no mood to get out of Haru’s bed anytime soon. 

And besides, today was the _day_. 

But Haru was persistent. Rin heard him getting out of bed and walking to the other side of the bedroom to pull open the curtains. Rin groaned and buried his face in his pillow as the room was bathed in sunlight. 

“Rin. Get up,” Haru said, shaking Rin’s shoulder. Without looking up from his pillow, Rin snaked an arm around Haru’s waist and pulled him down beside him, back into bed.

“Just five more minutes, Haru,” Rin murmured into Haru’s ear, softly tracing patterns onto his back with his fingers.

Haru sighed, brushing his lips against Rin’s collar bone, and sat back up, much to Rin’s disappointment.

“You’re going to be late,” Haru said, turning his face away with a small pout. 

Rin felt a twinge of sadness in his chest, though he knew it was stupid. It was just…this one week had hands-down been the best seven days of Rin’s life, and they’d gone by so fast. He wasn’t really in the mood to get on a flight to Sydney today, not if Haru wasn’t coming with him. 

“I’m going to make mackerel,” Haru said, getting up from the bed and snapping Rin out of his thoughts. He was simply wearing a pair of blue, mackerel-printed boxers (Rin couldn’t even believe Haru owned such things), and in the morning sunlight that was streaming in through the window, Rin could see the subtle, now-fading red bite-marks on Haru’s neck and thighs (and various other places) from last night - left by Rin himself, of course. Seeing them gave Rin a strange sense of pride and possessiveness. They also gave Rin a strong urge to grab Haru and push him back into bed and hold him close for the rest of the day, but he knew Haru was right. He had to get up, or he was going to miss his flight.

“I don’t even get a good-morning kiss?” Rin laughed, finally sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Haru simply threw Rin’s jacket at him, which had been lying crumbled on the floor.

“Not until you brush your teeth,” was Haru’s swift reply before walking out the door.

Rin gave another small chuckle and stood up, stretching. As he walked toward the door, he took a quick glance around Haru’s bedroom, with the rumpled up blue bed sheets and the clothes strewn all over the floor. Rin gave a small, content smile. He was lucky. Just a week ago, he would’ve never imagined himself waking up in Haru’s bed, walking around Haru’s bedroom in just his boxers, kissing Haru… But here he was. Even though he knew he was going today, it’s not like he was leaving Haru. They’d obviously keep in touch this time, and Rin would visit whenever he got the chance. Maybe Haru would even come to Australia again.

And most importantly, they were following the same dream now. It had taken a while, but Rin was finally getting his chance to become an international swimmer with Haru swimming by his side. And that was probably the thought that made him happiest.

Still smiling, Rin walked out of the bedroom, the smell of frying mackerel wafting from the kitchen. 

 

~~~

 

Haru was being awfully quiet.

Sure, okay, Rin knew that Haru was always quiet, but there was something different about this silence. Haru seemed…distracted, or something like that. He was barely eating his mackerel, and every time Rin started talking, he’d just stare into the distance and mumble a “yeah” or an “okay”.

Rin was starting to worry. He reached a hand across the table, covering Haru’s hand with his own and intertwining their fingers. A seemingly startled Haru jolted into an upright position, snapping out of his daze and looking Rin in the eye.

“Are you okay, Haru?” Rin asked, his tone concerned. Haru stared at him for a second longer, then pulled his hand away, hurriedly taking another bite of mackerel.

“Yeah,” he muttered, the same far-off look returning to his eyes.

Rin frowned. “You’re clearly _not_ okay, Haru. What’s wrong?”

Haru’s eyes were still fixed on his mackerel. “Nothing.”

Rin’s frown deepened into a small scowl. “ _Haru._ ”

Haru picked at his mackerel, clearly making no attempt to answer Rin’s question anytime soon.

 _So he’s gonna be stubborn, huh?_ Rin couldn’t stop a small smirk from passing over his face.

 _I’m not one to go down without a fight either, Haru. You should know that_.

So with a small sigh, he stood up, walked over to Haru and plopped down on the tatami beside him. Haru gave him a once-over, then turned his head away again. 

“What?” he asked, voice as monotone as ever.

Not giving Haru any time to react, Rin grabbed both of his wrists, the chopsticks flying out of Haru’s hands, and pushed him against the tatami, practically sitting on top of him.

He looked down to see an extremely stunned Haru, whose face slowly turned a light shade of red, either out of embarrassment or anger. He struggled to break free, but Rin had him pinned to the ground pretty hard. 

“ _O-Oi_ , Rin. Let go of me,” he stammered, still in obvious struggle.

Rin moved his face a little closer, so that their noses were a few inches away from each other. 

“Nope. Not ‘til you tell me what’s wrong.”

“Rin.”

Rin tightened his grip on Haru’s wrists a little, but made sure that Haru was not _actually_ in pain.

“No.”

They remained silent for a few moments, their faces close and their breaths mingling, until Haru finally gave a small sigh and turned his face away.

“It’s just –” Haru’s voice cracked a little, much to Rin’s surprise. “– you’re leaving today. Again.”

Was it just Rin’s imagination, or were Haru’s eyes… _wet_?

Rin’s tight grip on Haru’s wrists immediately loosened, his fingers slowly moving to caress Haru’s face. Haru was still looking away from Rin, clearly struggling to keep his face neutral. Rin silently cursed himself.

_You idiot. That’s literally the most obvious reason, and you had to be all over-dramatic and push him against the floor?!_

“Hey, Haru?” Rin said, his voice also coming out slightly cracked.

Still looking away, Haru muttered a “what”.

“Haru. Look at me,” Rin said, struggling to keep his shaking voice firm. Haru refused to do so, so Rin, very gently, cupped Haru’s chin and turned his face towards him. Haru finally looked him in the eye, only to be surprised over the fact that Rin’s eyes were brimming with tears.

“Rin. What’s wrong?” Haru asked, concern lacing his tone as he reached a hand out to Rin’s face, brushing away the single tear that was sliding down his cheek with his finger.

And that was when Rin lost it. He broke down into sobs, clutching the front of Haru’s shirt and sobbing into his chest. Haru looked surprised for a moment or two, but then he simply closed him eyes, lying down properly on the tatami, and put his arms around Rin.

“Haru, _I’m sorry_ ,” Rin sobbed, the sound muffled by Haru’s t-shirt. “I don’t wanna leave, I really don’t, but it won’t be like last time, I swear-“

“Rin,” Haru said, calmly stroking Rin’s hair. “I know it won’t be like last time. Don’t cry.”

Haru’s quiet, peaceful tone calmed Rin down a little, and his sobs became a little less violent too. Haru continued stroking his hair, not saying anything else.

“I-I’ll write to you,” Rin stammered, his head still buried in Haru’s chest, “and I’ll call you every day. And I’ll text you and e-mail you and-“

He heard Haru give a little snort. “I _understand_ , Rin. And so will I.”

Rin hiccupped (expected after all that crying), and then let out a short giggle.

_God, I must sound so drunk right now._

He finally looked up from Haru’s chest, only to find Haru looking down at him with the most tender, affectionate smile that he’d ever seen. A sudden burst of warmth coursed through Rin’s body, and in that moment, he felt so much… _love_ for Haru. It was impossible to put it in words.

Finally letting go of Haru’s t-shirt, Rin sat up a little, blinking and rubbing his face with his sleeve. Haru was still giving his that smile, and in that moment, Rin couldn’t help it. He wrapped his arms around Haru’s waist, gently but securely, and leaned down, pressing his lips softly but passionately against Haru’s. Haru immediately moved his hands from Rin’s hair to the back of his neck, returning the kiss with equal passion.

They both knew that Rin had to leave soon, but they lay there on the tatami, bodies entwined and warm, soft lips pressing against each other, like two lovers who had no other care in the world.

 

~~~ 

 

“You have everything?”

Rin nodded, but Haru eyed him suspiciously.

“One backpack is ‘everything’?” Haru asked, looking at the black backpack on Rin’s shoulders.

Rin laughed. “Of course not,” he said, lightly poking Haru in the cheek. “Sousuke said he’d bring my suitcases over to the airport for me.”

A relieved look came over Haru’s face. “Oh.”

It had been an hour since Rin’s little breakdown during breakfast, and now he and Haru were standing outside Haru’s house, showered and dressed and waiting for the taxi that was taking them to the airport to arrive. His flight was in three-and-a-half hours, but he wanted to arrive early, just in case. That was a lesson he’d learned the hard way after travelling alone for so many years.

“The taxi’s here,” Haru said. And sure enough, Rin could make out the figure of a car driving towards them.

A few minutes later, Rin had put his backpack into the trunk, told the taxi driver where they needed to go and scrambled into the backseat with Haru.

It was going to be a long drive. The airport was almost an hour away from where Haru lived, but Rin didn’t really mind. It just meant he had more time to spend with Haru.

It was a very silent drive, as Rin had expected. After Rin told the taxi driver where they needed to go, not a single word was spoken. Somewhere along the way, the sky had gotten gray and dark, raindrops falling down onto the ground and the car in dull thuds. An occasional spoke of lightning would flash across the sky, and the occasional rumble of thunder would be heard. Sometime during this pre-spring thunderstorm, Rin and Haru had moved closer together, thighs and arms brushing. They tried not to show too much affection as the taxi driver was still there, but they gave in in the end. Haru tenderly put his hand on top of Rin’s, interlacing their fingers, and rested his head on Rin’s shoulder. Rin immediately leaned his head against Haru’s silky black hair, not giving a damn about the taxi driver or anyone anymore.

Rin wasn’t sure how much time passed, but the two of them stayed like that, watching the rain from the windshield until the airport came into view.

He looked down at Haru, who was looking at the airport like it was a threat, fidgeting with his fingers and yet again struggling to keep a neutral face. Rin turned his head and gave him a quick peck on top of his head.

“Don’t worry,” he mumbled, which actually _did_ seem to calm Haru down a little.

After a few minutes, the car stopped in front of the airport building, the taxi driver cheerfully announcing that they were here. If he’d noticed that Rin and Haru were a couple, he didn’t seem to mind. Rin thanked him, shrugging his backpack back onto his shoulders, and gave him his money. After that, the taxi was gone. A sudden thought hit Rin.

“Wait,” he said, turning to Haru, who was standing beside him with his arms crossed over his chest. “If the taxi just left, how are you gonna get back?!”

Haru looked away. “I’ll just go back with Yamazaki.”

Rin found himself snorting. “Well, _this_ is a surprise.”

“Shut up.”

And as it was, just as they were talking about Sousuke, Rin spotted a white minivan driving toward them in the distance, Sousuke waving from the driver’s seat. Rin waved back, and as the car came closer, Rin noticed that he wasn’t the only one in there. No, wait, was that… _Makoto_ sitting in the passenger seat? 

Rin squinted. Yes, it was definitely Makoto. And for some reason, Rin had a feeling that it wasn’t just the two of them in there.

…And he’d been right. As soon as the car pulled in front of the airport entrance; heck, before the car even stopped, the back doors flung open, and Nagisa, Ai, and Momo threw themselves out of the car, running towards Rin and screaming various “Rin-chan’s” and “Rin-senpai’s”. Rin braced himself as they attacked him, bawling and clinging to him like monkeys as Haru snorted beside him, amused.

A few seconds later, Rei rushed out of the car, trying to calm everyone down because “this isn’t a beautiful way to say goodbye to Rin-san!” and then finally, Sousuke and Makoto got out, laughing at the scenario and getting Rin’s suitcases from the trunk.  
“Rin-chan! Don’t leave!” Nagisa wailed, clutching onto Rin’s shirt. Momo and Ai nodded in agreement.

Rin felt a burst of warmth course through his chest, and he looked down at the three of them with a warm, affectionate smile. After Rin had given them each a hair-ruffle, and a little more convincing from Rei, they all made their way inside the airport, Haru still walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Rin.

After Rin’s luggage was securely piled into a cart, it was time for the final goodbyes. Rin had been expecting to be sad when this happened, but looking at everyone around him, his old team, his new one ... he just couldn’t. Seeing everyone together made him feel so happy and full of life, it was kind of ridiculous. But Rin couldn’t help it. He had a big, dorky, shark-toothed grin on his face and he wasn’t about to try and wipe it off.

He went to everyone one by one, starting with Ai and Momo, who looked like they were struggling not to burst into tears and cling to Rin. He affectionately placed a hand on top of each of their heads. 

“Take care, you two. Practice hard. And take good care of my team, _captain_ Ai.”

Rubbing their eyes with their sleeves, they both gave Rin a bow.

“Yes, sir!”

“I’ll miss you guys, you know,” Rin said, laughing at the fact that they’d _still_ bow to him and call him ‘sir’.

“We’ll miss you too, Rin-senpai!” Ai sniffled, and Momo just continued wiping his eyes.

Next were Nagisa and Rei. Nagisa didn’t seem to care that they were standing in a crowded airport, he just flung his arms around Rin, not even trying to control his sobs. Rin gave him a quick hug back. 

“Take care of yourself, Nagisa,” he said when the blond finally let go of him. “And I don’t want anyone calling me to tell me you ran away from home again!” 

Nagisa laughed at that, and at least now he was making an effort to control his crying. Rin just smiled and flicked Nagisa’s forehead with his finger, an old habit of his. Nagisa laughed again.

“U-Um, Rin-san…” 

Rin turned around, surprised to see a very embarrassed Rei bowing his head at him. Rin snorted.

“What is it, Rei?”

“I-I just wanted you to know that I am very thankful to you for teaching me to swim all the strokes! So thank you, Rin-san!”

Rin felt a warmth surge through his chest. “You don’t have to thank me, Rei. I owed you from letting me swim in that relay, remember? So thank you.”

And at that, Rei joined Nagisa as they both clung to Rin and sobbed.

It took a few minutes to calm them down, but when they finally did, Rin went over to Makoto. 

“Makoto,” he said, sticking his hand out, and feeling slightly embarrassed because it was such a formal thing to do. “Thank you.”

Makoto looked genuinely surprised. “For what?”

“For…everything.” Rin hoped that saying that alone would cover everything that Makoto had done over the past two years that Rin had been in Japan. 

But Makoto seemed to understand. With that warm, motherly smile, he took Rin’s hand and shook it. “Thank you too, Rin.”

“A-And…” Rin started, looking away, and he was sure his cheeks were slightly pink. But he had to say it anyway. “And take care of Haru in Tokyo.”

Makoto laughed, noting the embarrassed tone in Rin’s voice. “Don’t worry, I will!”

Even though Rin knew that Makoto would take good care of Haru anywhere in the world, Makoto’s words gave him a sense of relief. He looked up into those green, tender eyes and smiled.

“Thank you, Makoto.”

After that was Sousuke. 

“Thanks for bringing everyone,” Rin said, giving Sousuke a grin. And he meant it. The fact that everyone was here had really lifted that gray, depressing mood from him.

“Yeah. No problem,” Sousuke said, returning the smile. “Though it was kind of a squash in the car.”

Rin snorted, imagining Nagisa and Momo and Ai not giving Sousuke any peace for a whole hour. 

“But at least you got to sit with _Makoto_ ,” Rin grinned, raising his eyebrows teasingly at Sousuke.

“Shut up,” Sousuke retorted. “And I noticed some bite-marks on Nanase’s neck. Only one guy I know with teeth that sharp and pointy.”

“Shut _up_ ,” Rin exclaimed, feeling his face turn red. Sousuke just laughed, and Rin eventually joined him, nudging him with his knee. 

“And Sousuke?” Rin said when they finally calmed down.

“Yeah?”

“You…you remember what I said back at Samezuka, right?” 

“Right.”

“Just…think about it.”

Sousuke just smiled. “Don’t worry. I am.”

Rin felt a sense of relief. At least Sousuke was considering swimming again. 

“Well, looks like I’ll see you later, Sousuke,” Rin said, holding up a closed knuckle to Sousuke.

Sousuke returned the fist-bump, still smiling. “You too, Rin.”

And then, finally, there was Haru.

Before Rin even had the chance to say anything, Haru wrapped hands around Rin’s neck, leaned upward, and pressed his lips against Rin’s in a passionate kiss. Rin automatically wrapped both arms around Haru’s waist and returned the kiss, as fervent as ever.

After a few seconds, they both pulled away, softly panting and out of breath. Their arms still wrapped around each other, Rin leaned his forehead down so it was touching Haru’s, both of them trying to catch their breaths. 

And then Rin realized that they were in the middle of a crowded airport, and everyone was still in front of him.

_…Shit._

He turned his head to look at his friends, but they didn’t seem to mind. Heck, they didn’t even look surprised. Maybe Sousuke had told them all? Or maybe Rin and Haru were just really obvious. But anyhow, Sousuke and Makoto were exchanging smiles, and so were Ai and Momo. Nagisa was clutching onto Rei’s arm and telling him something like “I told you so, Rei-chan!” and Rei was exclaiming something about how beautiful young love was. 

Rin let out a small chuckle, thankful for the friends he had, and turned his head back to Haru. 

It looked like the cheerful, energetic mood hadn’t just affected Rin. Haru was now standing there, his arms wrapped around Rin’s shoulders, with his eyes closed and a serene smile on his face. He looked calm and peaceful, contrary to that nervous fidgeting when they’d arrived at the airport.

 _Like an ocean on a summer night_ , Rin thought contentedly.

After giving Haru a quick peck on the forehead, Rin wrapped his arms around Haru in a proper hug, which Haru immediately returned. 

“Take care of yourself, Haru,” he murmured into Haru’s ear. 

Haru nuzzled his face into Rin’s shoulder. “You too,” he whispered, the words muffled by the fabric of Rin’s jacket.

Rin tightened the embrace a little. “Just you wait, Haru,” he said, the enthusiasm in his tone obvious. “We’re gonna be winning gold medals together soon.”

Haru just snorted and broke the hug, pulling Rin in for another kiss. 

“Train hard, Rin.”

Rin let out a small laugh. “You too, Haru.”

“And call me when you get there.”

“Will do.”

And after that, Rin had to leave. He would’ve stayed longer, but the airport was crowded and going through security would probably take a while. 

As he walked toward the baggage check-in, he turned around once more, taking one last look at all of his friends before he left. They were still standing there, waving and yelling.

“Have a safe flight, Rin!”

“Visit us soon, Rin-chan!” 

“We’ll miss you, Rin-senpai!”

Rin waved back, grinning. Then he noticed Haru, who was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, not saying anything, but looking as serene and happy as Rin had ever seen him. He saw Rin looking and raised his hand in a half-wave. 

Rin gave everyone one last wave and turned back around, continuing his walking. And all he could say was that, in that moment, he was _happy_. Happy and thankful for his friends. For these last two years spent in Japan. And especially for a certain blue-eyed boy by the name of Haruka Nanase.

 

~~~

 

About two hours later, Rin was finally sitting in the plane, waiting for it to takeoff. He was happy to see that he’d gotten a window seat, even though that was probably childish. Looking out of the window on a plane had always calmed and comforted him, ever since he had started travelling alone as a twelve-year-old. 

He took a quick glance at his watch.

 _Five minutes_.

Sighing, he popped in some earphones, putting on a random English song that he liked. He rested his elbow on the armrest and gazed out the window. It was late afternoon by now, and the sky was finally starting to clear up, clear, vibrant blue peeking out from behind the layers of gray clouds.

 _Just like Haru’s eyes,_ Rin thought, mesmerized by how pretty the color was.

After that, he let his thoughts drift to Haru. It was unbelievable how much one person could change Rin’s life so much. He remembered that burning passion he felt the first time he’d raced Haru in elementary school. Since he’d laid his eyes on him, Rin knew that he wanted to swim with him. And Haru, being as stubborn and Haru-like as he was, refused Rin at first, but eventually _did_ swim the relay with him. Rin remembered the years he’d spent in Australia, alone and struggling and confused, thinking that the only way he’d feel satisfied with himself was if he beat Haru. And then the relay he’d swum with him, the way Rin had clung to Haru and cried after it, feeling so _relieved_ and content and happy. And he thought about their trip to Australia together, and his confession to Haru, and their first kiss, under a cherry blossom tree like some cheesy romance movie…

As the plane started moving, Rin relaxed back into his seat, closing his eyes as the music in his ears droned on. Yup, he was grateful for these five years he’d known Haru, and even though his confession was five years late, it was probably the best decision Rin had made in his life. Rin remembered the essay he’d written in elementary school, calling Haru his ‘shining’. It was embarrassing, yeah, but it was true. And now not only was his ‘shining’ one of his best friends, but also his lover.

He remembered how he’d written that he wanted to one day fly (as in swim) with his shining, making light touch all over the corners of the world from their brilliance.

 _Looks like I’m finally getting my wish_ , Rin thought, a content smile on his face.

The plane started taking off, and Rin took one last look out the window, taking in Iwatobi from an aerial view. Haru was probably home by now, eating mackerel or taking a bath or something. Rin realized that he had left his Samezuka jacket there.

_Oh well. Maybe Haru’s wearing it._

Smiling at the thought of it, Rin leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes, a wave of exhaustion suddenly passing over him. Maybe his late night and trek around the airport were finally taking their toll on him. The last thought he had before falling asleep was:

_I’ll be back soon, Haru. I promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's that ^^ I really hope you liked it!! And again, I apologize that this is only three chapters! FINALS AND SCHOOL ARE SO ANNOYING UGH. But it was really fun to write, so thank you for giving me such a lovely prompt! ^^
> 
> Merry Christmas, Aella-chan! ;)


End file.
